Cayo Coco Airport: Does It Exist?

Cayo Coco is a small island that is part of the Jardines del Rey (King's Garden) archipelago off the north coast of Cuba. The island is connected to the main island of Cuba by a 17km causeway. In 2002, the Jardines del Rey Airport was opened to serve the island, replacing the earlier Cayo Coco Airport. The new airport is located on the eastern end of the island and serves the island's resorts, as well as the north-central regions of Cuba.

Jardines del Rey Airport

The airport was built to better serve the growing tourism sector in Cayo Coco. Before its construction, tourists had to fly to Máximo Gómez Airport on the Cuban mainland and then take a one-hour bus ride to the island. The Cuban government recognised the need for a new airport to improve accessibility to Cayo Coco and, in 1999, announced plans to build Jardines del Rey Airport.

The airport is managed by both the Cuban company ECASA (Empresa Cubana de Aeropuertos y Servicios Aeronáuticos S.A.) and the Spanish airports company Aena, making it the only airport in Cuba that is partially managed by a foreign company. Construction of the airport began in January 2000, and it was officially inaugurated in 2002 upon the completion of a larger terminal, which increased the airport's annual capacity to 1.2 million passengers.

The airport serves the island resorts of Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Paredon, and Cayo Cruz, as well as the north-central regions of Cuba, such as Ciego de Avila, Moron, and Sancti Spiritu. It handles both international and domestic flights operated by Aerocaribbean and Aerogaviota.

Location and travel times

Cayo Coco is a small island that is part of the Jardines del Rey (King's Garden) archipelago, off the north coast of Cuba. The island is connected to Cuba's mainland by a 17km causeway.

Jardines del Rey Airport (IATA: CCC, ICAO: MUCC) is located on the eastern end of Cayo Coco. It replaced the earlier Cayo Coco Airport, which was superseded in 2002 due to its location in an environmentally sensitive area. The old airport is now a natural park called Parque Natural El Baga.

The new airport is much closer to the resorts on Cayo Coco. Travel times to the island's resorts are now under 30 minutes, with the Melia Cayo Coco resort approximately 10-15 minutes away.

The airport is also connected to the Cuban mainland via the causeway. Travel times to various locations on the mainland are as follows:

• Town of Moron: 64 km, about 60 minutes
• City of Ciego de Avila: 94 km, about 90 minutes
• City of Camaguey: 210 km, about 3 hours
• City of Trinidad: 231 km, about 3 1/2 hours
• Varadero Resort: 464 km, about 6 hours
• Havana City: 522 km, about 6 hours

History

The island of Cayo Coco, Cuba, is served by the Jardines del Rey Airport (IATA: CCC, ICAO: MUCC). The airport is located on the island itself and was inaugurated on 26 December 2002. It replaced the earlier, smaller Cayo Coco Airport, which was located 10 km to the west.

In the early 1990s, the Cuban government began developing the tourism sector in Cayo Coco, constructing several resorts. To reach these resorts, tourists had to fly to Máximo Gómez Airport on the Cuban mainland and then take a one-hour bus ride to the island. To make travel to Cayo Coco more convenient, the Cuban government announced in 1999 that it would build a new airport on the island itself. Environmentalists disapproved of the selected site, but the government responded that the site was located in a zone already designated for infrastructure development. The existing Cayo Coco Airport, situated in a more environmentally sensitive area, would be demolished and reforested.

Construction of the new airport began in January 2000. Later that year, the Spanish airports company Aena signed a contract with the Cuban government to build and operate the airport, becoming the first foreign entity to manage a Cuban airport. Management is shared with the Cuban company ECASA. The first phase of the project was completed in early 2002, encompassing the construction of the runway, taxiways, apron, air traffic control tower, and a temporary terminal with a capacity for 150 passengers. The airport was officially inaugurated in December 2002 upon the completion of a larger terminal, which brought the airport's annual capacity to 1.2 million passengers.

The former runway of the original Cayo Coco Airport was incorporated as the new route of a highway heading west, connecting Cayo Coco with Cayo Guillermo. Some runway markings and taxiways remain visible. The airport terminal buildings and the surrounding area have been reclaimed as a small natural park called Parque Natural El Baga.

Facilities and amenities

Cayo Coco is served by the Aeropuerto Internacional Jardines del Rey (also known as Cayo Coco Airport), which is located on the island of Cayo Coco itself. The airport was inaugurated on 26 December 2002, replacing the earlier domestic Cayo Coco Airport, which is now a natural park.

The airport has a range of facilities and amenities to serve its passengers. The terminal is 6,000 square metres (65,000 sq ft) in size and can handle 600 passengers per hour. It is air-conditioned and non-smoking, except for in one designated area. There is no jet bridge, so mobile staircases are used for embarking and disembarking.

Arrivals Area:

• Cuban Immigration and Customs
• Baggage carousel
• Bathrooms
• Public phones
• Currency exchange
• Infotur office (tourist information)
• Car rental
• Taxis

Departure Hall (Public Area):

• Check-in counters
• Bathrooms
• Immigration/Passport Control
• Public phones
• Currency exchange
• Snack bar (outside)

Departure Gate Lounge:

• 1 public waiting lounge
• 2 VIP lounges (one belongs to the airline Cubana de Aviación, the other can be accessed by any passenger for a fee)
• Bathrooms
• Currency exchange
• Infotur desk (tourist information)
• Public phones
• 2 snack bars
• 3 duty-free shops
• Souvenir kiosks

Airlines and destinations

Jardines del Rey Airport (CCC) is located on the island of Cayo Coco, in the Cuban province of Ciego de Ávila. It is the third-largest airport in Cuba and serves the areas of Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Paredon, and Cayo Cruz. The airport has a single terminal building that is air-conditioned and non-smoking, except for one designated smoking area. There are no jet bridges, so mobile staircases are used for embarking and disembarking.

There are 6 airlines that fly to and from Cayo Coco:

• Sunwing (WG) – 12 destinations
• Air Transat (TS) – 5 destinations
• Euroairlines (Q4) – 3 destinations
• Air Canada (AC) – 2 destinations
• Cubana (CU) – 2 destinations
• Nordwind (N4) – 1 destination

The most popular routes to and from Cayo Coco are to and from Toronto and Montreal.

There are non-stop flights to the following destinations:

• Toronto (YYZ)
• Montreal (YUL)
• Havana (HAV)
• Santa Clara (SNU)
• London Gatwick (LGW)
• Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO)
• Quebec City (YQB)

There are also seasonal flights to the following destinations:

• Fredericton (YFC)
• Halifax (YHZ)
• Hamilton (YHM)
• London (YXU)
• Moncton (YQM)
• Ottawa (YOW)
• St. John's (YYT)
• Varadero (VRA)
• Buenos Aires (EZE)

Frequently asked questions